yambo

yambo, the Nicaraguan restaurant in Little Havana, is the best takeout deal in town. And it's available 24 hours a day. I've already talked about my sampler-platter-theory, and the same goes here. Get the sampler platter. Always. Especially when you don't know what a bunch of menu items mean.

It turns out, that while they have code words for a lot of the dishes, they're familiar."Antojitos Nicaraguenses" is the sampler platter, so start there. "Repollo" is a light, vinegar based coleslaw. "Gallo Pinto" is red beans and rice. "Tajadas" are plantains (platanos maduros) - but get the Tajadas Verdes con Queso Frito - because if there's one other rule to follow, it's anything is better with cheese, especially when it's a GIANT platano maduro stuffed with queso blanco .

While it's not surprising that anything fried and cheese stuffed is delicious, it comes as a bit of an eyebrow raiser that the quality of steak on this $21 monster plate of food, easily enough to feed five people, is not just acceptable, but really exceptional. The steak or "carne asada" is really the standout on the plate of all tasty things.

We haven't even covered the actual place itself, which is something you have to see for yourself to really take in in detail. The outside is always crowded, early in the night with families picking up or eating on the patio, and later at night, well, you can imagine what it's like there at 4 AM. there's a lady that comes around and takes drink orders while you wait to place your order (cash only) at the buffet counter. I've heard there's a two beer per person limit. There's an interior, decorated in memorabilia of politicians and celebrities who have visited the restaurant and cowboy gear, collected kitchen equipment, paintings of the countryside and more cover every inch of the walls.

All I can say is I seriously recommend Netflix and Antojitos Nicaraguenses on a Friday night.